You’ve done the work. You’ve started to shred the old folders, challenge the inherited lies, and push against the invisible bars of your conditioning. You feel the stirrings of your own, raw truth.
But then, you pause. You look around, almost instinctively, for the nod. For the applause. For the silent, external signal that it’s “okay” to be this new, emergent you.
The Lingering Ghost of “Good Enough”
This is the echo of approval, the phantom limb of social conditioning. It’s the subtle, insidious way we still wait for permission to be our full, messy, “juicy” selves. We’ve been trained for so long to seek validation—from our parents, our partners, our peers, society—that even when we begin to reclaim our power, that old programming lingers.
The grit of this stage isn’t fighting the external world; it’s fighting the internal ghost that still craves its affirmation. It’s realizing that the most dangerous folder left in your cabinet might be the one labeled “External Validation Required.” It tells you that your truth isn’t real unless someone else approves it.
Silence the Standing Ovation
My work is about silencing that echo. It’s about the fierce, quiet rebellion of choosing yourself when no one else is clapping. It’s about understanding that your liberation doesn’t need a witness, it just needs your unwavering commitment.
This is where the real power lies: in the defiant act of being authentic, not for the audience, but for the untamed spirit within. You don’t need permission to bloom. You just need to stop waiting for someone to give it to you.